And Then There Were Three
by Syd the Tired
Summary: The other three marauders distance themselves from Sirius after the Snape incident. Sirius, in turn, throws himself into his schoolwork as a distraction. Is there a way to reconcile the four? Slash.
1. Just Three

Oh the slashy-ness… This will include Remus/Sirius and OC/Sirius. Well, it will mention and give a few details of the second relationship. I normally hate original characters but in this case it was necessary, unless y'all wanted him to be paired with either Lily or Snape. I didn't. This is only the first chapter, so enjoy the ride. Oh yes, if you like this then you may like my other Sirius/Remus. It's a sequel of sorts to this one. It's set after PoA and GoF. Unbeta-ed therefore don't get too cranky about spelling and grammar. I'll upload a revised one later.  
  
  
  
Part One  
  
Sirius lay in the grass one Saturday afternoon. He sighed and stared as fluffy white clouds puffed over the blue expanse. He had nothing better to do, other than homework that is. Problem was that the only homework that was left that he hadn't done was a paper for Transfiguration that was due next month. He had had enough of that teacher anyway.  
  
His Hogsmeade privileges had been revoked after the Snape incident. Not that he would have gone anyway. His relationship with the other marauders had become quite strained. While Remus and James had forgiven him, they had also made it quite clear that the trust that had once been there was now gone. That hurt him a lot. He knew that their feelings were justified but it still stung.  
  
Only Two things had not suffered in the time that had elapsed since and they were his schoolwork and grades. He had quit the Quidditch team because he had felt that it was only fair. Sirius had felt that the punishment that he had received was not hard enough, so he removed the thing that meant most to him away.  
  
'No, the thing that means most to me is my friends and I threw that away on a foolish joke. I just wanted Snape to be scared… I didn't think of the consequences. I am such a fool,' thought Sirius. Peter was the only one that would even talk to him anymore.  
  
  
  
He missed Quidditch, though. He did not get to fly nearly as much since he wasn't on the team. He did not think that is was fair to James to have to play with a Beater he couldn't trust or the other Gryffindors to lose points because of the lack of trust. He also did not want James to suffer from his presence any more than he had to as it was. He had noticed that when he was around conversations became stinted and the looks were uneasy.  
  
'I hate that the most. I want their trust back, but I don't know how.' Dumbledore had called him in to his classroom the day before. Apparently, he was worried about the young animagi. The professor claimed to not have seen Sirius smile in weeks and that combined with the better grades and Sirius' new haircut, yet another of his self punishments, he was worried. Sirius had tried to shrug it off but the act was clearly seen right though.  
  
His inner monologue turned from the disparity of his current circumstances to the paper that he didn't need to write but would. He made a mental note to ask his teachers for extra credit assignments so that he would have something to do. He stood slowly and made his way to the library; there were some books he still needed to work on the paper. He rolled his eyes when he saw a certain Gryffindor seventh year striding toward him.  
  
Meanwhile in Hogsmeade, Remus, Peter and James were sitting around and eating chocolate frogs. In all actuality, Peter was eating the sweets while James and Remus sat looking miserable.  
  
Remus sighed and looked over at Peter who had brown smudges all over his face. "Don't eat them all, Peter. Those have to last you for the week and you already spent all your money."  
  
The chubby boy nodded and smiled showing bits of chocolate in between his teeth. "You're right. I wanted to bring Sirius some anyway. Sad that he can't come on the weekends any more."  
  
He then turned bright red. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I know that you are quite mad at him. And rightly so… He has just looked so lost lately."  
  
Remus realized that outside of class he hadn't seen Remus for more than an hour total since that unpleasant incident. The majority of that hour had been right after he had left the hospital wing when Sirius had been apologizing. 'I was cruel to him, even more than the situation warranted.'  
  
Since then, he had only caught glimpses as the boy came around a corner or left a room. He avoided the others at all costs. Sirius would be in bed with the curtains closed when they came in and already be showered, dressed and gone before they had even begun to wake up. The familiar rakish grin had not graced his friend's countenance for weeks. He seemed to be even paler and no longer seemed larger than life. He seemed small, lost and lonely.  
  
'He looks the way that I feel,' realized Remus. He needed the other boy's lighthearted attitude. He sighed and tried to pay attention to what the others were talking about.  
  
"… Lily says that every time that she's been in the library he has been in there. And that she overheard Dumbledore talking to some of the other professors. He's worried about Siri. He's turned in all his homework and it's been perfect. He quit the Quidditch team too." James notified his other friends.  
  
Remus jumped slightly. He hadn't been at the last match as it had been the same day as the full moon. He didn't like to be around people more than he had too on those days. "He quit the team? Why would he do that?"  
  
James stared at the ground. "I think that it had something to do with me. I overheard him telling the captain that one of the players had reason to not trust him and he didn't want the team or the players to suffer because of him. He said that it was only fair and that he was completely at fault. We had to move one of the reserve players up."  
  
James then stood and looked at the other two. "I think that I'm going to head on back. Hogsmeade isn't as much fun as it used to be." They nodded and stood. Peter ran off to throw away his trash and then the three made their way back to Hogwarts. 


	2. Others

It is still not mine… wish it was. Remus and Sirius definitely deserve to be together. If y'all like this you may want to read "The Letter" which currently has two reviews *pouts*. It is short… but it's not done. I won't bother with posting it if no one wants to read it…. Anyway, the OC gets introduced in this chapter. I really did not like having to create one, but didn't know of an existing character that fill his role.  
  
  
  
Sirius looked at the entrance to the library. "I can't get in with out him noticing," Sirius muttered. "Maybe I should wait until later, then start on my paper."  
  
Deciding that that would be the best course of action, he turned around and began to retrace his steps. He was not going to go to the dormitory or the common room. He did not want to have to see Peter, James and especially Remus. Walking to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, he stopped right before he got to the Forbidden Forest. He resisted the urge to change in to Padfoot and flopped on to the ground.  
  
"Ow! I need to remember not to just collapse on the ground here. Too many tree roots." Sirius reached down and rubbed his hip where it had the ground. "I don't think that that bone stuck out that much."  
  
Almost on cue, his stomach started to growl. "Oh, I'm hungry! When did I eat last?" He considered this and decided that he had eaten last night, he's convinced some house elves that he needed to study and they'd brought him some dinner in the library. "Wonder if that'll work two nights in row."  
  
He flipped onto his back and shivered. "It's getting cold, I think that I need to get some warmer robes."  
  
"Sirius!!!"  
  
The boy in question rolled his eyes. 'Why doesn't he get the point? I. Do. Not. Like. Him.' Ever since Sirius had come out and admitted that he didn't like girls, he'd had one guy after another try to date him. After being pursued for so long he began getting annoyed with his admirers. Not that the girls had been any better, they kept trying to 'change' him. He insisted that he was perfectly happy the way that he was. He really did not understand why they seemed to chase after him. He knew that he wasn't bad looking, but why pass up trying to get with Remus to date him. After the breaking up of the Marauders, it had just gotten worse. He did not have his friends to fend them off.  
  
He sighed and sat up. He glanced over his shoulder and yelled, "What do you want, Liam?"  
  
The Gryffindor seventh year in question dropped down next to Sirius. "Just thought that I would bring you something to eat. I didn't see you at breakfast or lunch and it looks like you weren't planning on going to dinner. Can't let your physique waste away, now can I? What would I lust over if it were gone?"  
  
  
  
After Sirius picked up the package and began to eat, Liam continued, "I told the house elves that the food was for you and they got a bunch of your favorites. I know that I'm not really one of your friends but I need to ask. Sirius, I don't want to pry but are you ok? You've been acting a little… off the past couple weeks. I notice these things. I know that you think that I'm one of the people that lust over you and to some degree you're right, but I care for you not the package."  
  
Sirius shivered again and swallowed. "My friends… they aren't my friends anymore. I did something incredibly stupid and lost them. I really don't have any other friends."  
  
"Oh." Liam knew how close that the four had been. They did not truly do anything with anyone other than themselves. They were nice to everyone, barring Slytherins, but mainly stayed with in their little foursome. "That must be hard. I don't see how you could have done something to make them not want to be friends with you anymore."  
  
Sirius looked at the ground. "Oh its possible. Very possible. I'm a horrible person, just evil."  
  
"I'm going to the library tonight. Would you like to come with me? It won't be a study date or anything like that. We'd go just as friends wanting a little company. You seem to need some right now. What do you think?"  
  
The sixth year mulled the idea in his head. He was so lonely. He really wanted people to talk to. He did not really think that he deserved it but… "Why not? I was going to go there anyway. I have a paper due in Transfiguration."  
  
That night after the two had worked in the library when they walked back to Gryffindor Tower together, Sirius asked himself why he had never gotten to know the older boy. He realized that he'd just never taken the time to get to know people other than the ones that he lived with. He sighed and looked up at the older boy who was telling about the time that he and his friends had hexed a group of Slytherins, giving them all a pair of pink fluffy bunny ears and a tail to match. By the time that Liam was done with the story they were back to the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
Sirius mumbled the password and in they walked. He blinked at the sheer number of people in the common room. Right off, he spotted Remus and the others. He watched them for about ten seconds then redirected his attention back to Liam, who patted him on the arm.  
  
Sirius' shoulders slumped as he made his way to the staircase. He was trying so hard to stay away but it was so difficult. He missed the friendship so badly. He and James had been friends since before Hogwarts and life seemed so empty with out him. He missed Remus the most though. There was just something about the werewolf that made him so happy, so fulfilled.  
  
Liam looked at the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years that were trying their best to ignore the presence of their year mate. He was honestly shocked. He had truly thought that Sirius was exaggerating the situation. He quickened his stride to catch up with the black haired boy. As they reached the staircase, he took Sirius' hand and led him up to the seventh year's room.  
  
He sat down on the bed and pulled the other boy down with him. "Sirius… I don't know what to say. I had really thought that you were embellishing on the truth. But you weren't. I'm sorry."  
  
Sirius looked up and Liam could see tears in the other's stormy blue eyes. " I told you. They hate me now. I deserve it though. I don't deserve to have them as friends."  
  
Sirius could not take it. He had kept his unhappiness bottled up inside too long. The tears began to roll down his face. "I'm... I'm so lonely. I miss them so much…"  
  
Liam pulled him into his arms and rocked the boy back and forth. 'God, he feels like skin and bones. I guess though, with quitting Quidditch and skipping meals it was bound to happen.'  
  
Ten minutes later the sobbing had stopped and Sirius was just sniffling on Liam's now wet shoulder. The older boy was now running his hands through Sirius' now short black hair and muttering comforting nonsense words. After a while he realized that the sniffling had stopped and the boy in his arms was taking deep even breaths. Even though he would have much rather kept Sirius in his bed, he knew that he needed to bring the boy down to his own room. He maneuvered Sirius so that he could stand with the boy in his arms and not drop him.  
  
Liam knocked on the sixth year's room and was let in by an angry looking Remus. He nodded slightly and asked which bed was Sirius'. He set him down and pulled the covers up from the unmade bed. Penning a note, he told Sirius that if he ever needed anything to just ask.  
  
Remus watched the actions with angry eyes. He'd seen the two walk in together and remembered how the older boy had tried to date Sirius earlier. He was worried that Sirius might do something he regretted. Sirius was vulnerable and had to be more than a little lonely. He did not like to be by himself; he liked to be surrounded by people when ever possible.  
  
He glared as the older boy tucked a piece of short black hair behind an ear and left. He blinked. Short? Sirius had cut his hair, his beautiful silky long hair. He'd had somewhat of a crush on his friend for years, but hadn't acted on it for fear of the loss of their friendship. It made him wonder, if Peter or James had acted the way Sirius had would he have been as angry?  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Eh. That didn't work out the way I had planned. At all. Liam was supposed to be some complete jerk that Sirius was totally fooled by. I decided about half way through that it wouldn't work that way. The question is, will Remus' jealousy tear them even farther apart or will it help them to reconcile? 


	3. Potions

Not mine… Nor has it ever been… Well, Liam's mine. Cute isn't he?  
  
Remus was fuming. How dare Liam even touch Sirius? Hadn't he gotten it through his thick head that Sirius was not interested? Hadn't Remus and James told him enough times to leave him alone? He drug fingers through his honey colored hair.   
  
'I'm so frustrated! I don't want Liam to be near Sirius, but I don't want to forgive him just yet. Maybe I'm being selfish but I do not think that he's really suffered enough. I miss him though. I need the light that he brings. I love James and Peter but its not the same.'   
  
From across the room, James called softly, "Remus, are you ok?"  
  
"No", Remus. "He… he was touching Sirius. I'm so mad at him… both of them, Liam for touching Sirius and Sirius for allowing it. I'm not ever mad about… what happened anymore. But he's acting like we are not worth waiting for us to get over our anger. Our justified anger."  
  
James walked over to Remus' bed and sat down. " I know how you feel. I've known Sirius for a long time. He has been a big part of my life. I keep forgiving him. I don't want to forgive him though. I see him and he looks so lost but then I remember what could have happened. I don't see myself forgiving him for a long time."  
  
Sirius was in a half daze and woke up only to hear James' last sentence. 'They aren't going to forgive me. I've tried to make it up to them in the only ways that I know how. I've given up things cut my hair… I don't know what else to do. Maybe I should just give up and leave. There isn't anything keeping me here anymore. Mum wanted me to go to that Irish Wizarding School but I insisted on going here. Maybe it was a mistake.'  
  
  
  
Sirius woke early the next morning. He wanted to let his mum know that he decided what he wanted to do the next year. He would attend her private Irish school, even thought it meant living his final year at home.   
  
After he had sent the owl off, he returned to his room sure that his year mates were no longer there. It was then that he saw the note from Liam.   
  
'I really misjudged him. He really is a nice guy; I shouldn't have grouped him in a category with all those others. Yet another crime to add to my list.' He grabbed his books and went on to the common room.  
  
Sirius was sitting in front of the fireplace when Liam and some of the other Gryffindor seventh years came down. He urged the younger boy to come to breakfast then did not let up until he gave in.  
  
As the weeks progressed, the tension between Remus and Sirius grew until Sirius spent two out of four nights sleeping on the seventh year's floor. James and Peter knew that their werewolf friend was almost at his breaking point but neither knew how to approach him.  
  
A few days after a particularly nasty full moon, Remus and Sirius were paired together in Potions class. Remus was angrier than was the new norm for several reasons. The fact that the change was one of the worst yet because the wolf kept looking for Padfoot and he had found Liam playing with Sirius' slowly growing locks before Potions class were the main two reasons that he was so very angry.   
  
Sirius looked at his partner and sighed. "Remus, I know that you don't want me as your partner and I don't blame you. But you also want a good grade.   
  
Remus ignored the other boy's words and began assembling the ingredients for the potion. The two worked in silence. After adding each component, they shifted its container to one side. Sirius noticed that one item hadn't been shifted, and he hadn't added it.  
  
"Remus? Did you add this already?" He asked holding up the bottle. Remus rolled his eyes and took some of the containers back to the holding area.   
  
"Guess that's a no." Sirius carefully measured out the correct amount and leaned over the cauldron. He slowly poured the liquid in, watching it bubble. "This is not good…"  
  
All of a sudden the potion exploded, splashing in Sirius' eyes, nose and mouth. "Ow, that burns."  
  
The potions master walked over to where the two had been working. "You will feel drowsy but you will be fine. The soft tissues of the mouth absorb it. That is how the potion works. I'll give you a pass back to the dorm. You won't be able to stay awake in your classes."  
  
Sirius nodded slowly. He did not feel good at all. He was woozy and somewhat disoriented. He left the class and headed back toward the tower. As he climbed the stairs, the paintings on the walls seemed to shift around. Finally, he was back in his room; he quickly stashed his books and robe under the bed. He lay down on the bed and for a moment the world seemed to right itself. Pulling the curtains closed, he sighed. Consciousness then fled his body.   
  
  
  
The next morning, Liam was worried. Sirius was supposed to meet him on the Quidditch pitch but had not shown up. Then he wasn't at dinner, in the common room or the library. When he had not been at breakfast, Liam almost lost it. He no longer thought of Sirius as an object of lust or attraction, but as a younger brother. Like any typical older brother, when Sirius was missing he was out of his mind with worry. He had tried to leave the sixth years alone but this was time from drastic measures.   
  
He pounded on the door to the sixth-year's dormitory room. Peter answered the door. The pudgy boy let him in.   
  
Liam glared at the room in general. "Where is he? Have you seen him?"  
  
"Him?" asked Remus, being obtuse on purpose. "Oh, Sirius. No, we figured that he was with you."  
  
Liam tried not to growl. "When was the last time you saw him? I haven't seen him since yesterday morning."  
  
"I haven't seen him since Potions, before lunch yesterday. He skipped all our other classes," replied James.  
  
Remus shrugged, trying not to convey his own worry, "Check his bed if you like."  
  
"I will." Liam threw back the curtains. Lying on the bed was an obviously unconscious, yellow tinged Sirius Black.   
  
  
Am I evil? It's not really a cliffhanger… Is it? I've always wanted to do one. ^_^ There will be more out soon. What's wrong with Siri? 


	4. Meaningless Arguments?

*Grins* I watched Velvet Goldmine. I'm in love. I think that Jonathan Rhys Meyers would be a perfect Sirius. either him or the lead singer from Incubus. Just thought I'd let you all know what he looked like in my head.  
  
James stood by the side of Sirius' bed mouth agape. He blinked and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. It had to be a joke that Sirius was playing. People did not just turn yellow. But he was so still and he hadn't played a joke since that night.  
  
Liam pushed Remus toward the door. "Go to the infirmary. Tell Madame Pomfrey that Sirius is jaundiced and not moving" He glared at the younger boy. "Well? Why are you waiting for?"  
  
Remus shook his head. " He is one of my best friends; I'm not leaving him."  
  
"You would not speak to him for months, not even a simple hello, but now you won't leave his side even if it would be more beneficial to Siri if you went and got help. Still you claim him as a friend? Haven't you done enough?"  
  
The werewolf tensed. Liam was right, he knew that but he had been so mad then so terribly jealous. What was he supposed to do?  
  
James grabbed Remus' arm. "I'll go. We don't have time to stand around and fight. Sirius needs help."  
  
Remus watched the prefect leave the room then went to stand anxiously at the unconscious boy's side. 'If anything happens to Sirius, I don't know what I'll do. The past weeks have been hard enough.'  
  
Meanwhile, Liam had sat down on Sirius' bed. He was stroking the boy's abnormally pale, yellow tinged hand. Even the normally pink skin under his nails was a sickly yellow color.  
  
Remus did not have to strain to hear the words that Liam was sharing with the unaware Sirius. "Sirius, Siri. everything is going to fine. I promise. On the bright side, for you at least, maybe you'll be sick enough that you can't finish the year here and will have to have those tutors that you mom wants. Then you won't ever have to go to another Hogwarts class."  
  
Remus clenched and unclenched his hands. His anger toward Liam for using his nickname for Sirius over shadowed the other words, but only for a moment. "What! Leave school? Why? Sirius can't leave! Where would be go? Why would he go?"  
  
He was met with a glare that held more than a little contempt. "You did not know? He's miserable, want to leave."  
  
Just then Madame Pomfrey rushed in and ordered all three boys out, Liam, Remus and the silent Peter. It appeared that James had been ordered to breakfast. Staring off, lost in thought, Remus was moving on autopilot.  
  
He couldn't understand what had done that to Sirius. He was normally in perfect health. Granted, he had not been sleeping well lately nor had had he been going to the meals with the rest of them thus one could conclude that he hadn't been eating well either, but those things couldn't cause a reaction like that. Could they? In addition, what was this about Sirius leaving school?  
  
Remus thought it best to be cordial to the elder wizard if he wanted any information. He tugged on the older Gryffindor's sleeve. "Liam? What did you mean by him being able to leave school early? He can't leave in the middle of the term.  
  
"Sirius isn't coming back to Hogwarts next year. He hasn't been happy since his fourth year and has finally worn his parents down to where they are allowing him to stay at home next year. He's going to attend a day school back in Ireland. In fact his school is five minutes from where I'm going to be working."  
  
If Remus hadn't been jealous before he was now. What did he mean by 'hasn't been happy since his fourth year'? Yes, the werewolf knew that Sirius has not been happy since the Snape incident but that was to be expected. "Don't you think that we would have noticed that Sirius was not happy? Especially if he hadn't been happy since we were fourth years."  
  
Liam shook his head. "Actually, no. You see the Sirius that you- and he want you to see. You see the strong confident Sirius with the 'devil may care' attitude, Sirius the boy with many friends. Underneath the layers of masks, he is as insecure and lonely as the rest or you."  
  
Inwardly fuming, Remus thought, 'How dare he say these things? He hasn't known Sirius as long as we have. Not really known him.'  
  
"You're trying to justify your feelings aren't you? Even though you know I'm right, Remus, deep down. You don't want to admit that you could be wrong. Not that it matters. Sirius is still horribly ill and his immune system is not fully functioning either. Stress, malnutrition, lack of sleep can all cause a faulty immune system." Liam smiled wryly. "You're scared now that you had something to do with this." The older boy then sighed. " I don't know what happened to break up such a close knit group of friends nor do I truly care. All I know is that what ever he did to you can't be worth the pain and suffering that you have been putting him through. You are killing him."  
  
Remus stared blankly at the floor. Wasn't Liam right? Hadn't he forgiven ages ago but felt that he needed to be punished?  
  
Peter piped in hesitantly, thinking that he may be able to distract the other boys from their sniping. "Yesterday during Potions, the potion that Sirius was working on blew up all over him. He was told to go back to the tower. Could that be what's wrong?"  
  
"No, that couldn't be it. We were partners. It was done perfectly. All that could have happened was that he would have fallen asleep," replied Remus confidently. Inside though, he was a mass of nerves. Questions kept going through his mind. 'Why had he not noticed? What if they had done something wrong? What if Sirius died? What if Sirius died and it was all his fault? What if he died and never knew that Remus loved and forgave him. and wanted his forgiveness also?  
  
Liam stood there looking at Remus. He knew how Sirius felt about the brown haired boy. He went on about how wonderful, smart and nice Remus was. This was partially how Liam has 'gotten over' Sirius and began to think of him as a brother. He remembered a conversation three or four days before. Liam had not been able to hold in him animosity towards Remus any longer.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Liam ran a hand through his messy brown hair and made a growling noise low in his throat. "How can you stand it? How can you love that boy when all he does is ignore you? Don't you think that you deserve better?"  
  
He knew it was the wrong thing to say when Sirius' blue eyes became blank and listless. The black haired boy stared unseeing at his lap. "I deserve the way that they treat me. What I did was unforgivable. I deserve their hate and contempt."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Liam hadn't been able to forget the look on his face. Angry and worried, he lashed at the person easiest, Remus. " You don't want him to die, because you would feel accountable. You aren't forgiving him because you truly feel that way but to assuage your guilt."  
  
Remus opened his mouth to tell Liam that he was mistaken, that the older boy reasons were totally wrong but he knew that Liam was at least partially right. Luckily, he was saved by a red-faced, puffy eyed James Potter.  
  
"We need to be where we are 'supposed' to be so if they have any news they will know where to find us."  
  
Hmmm, a chapter full of Liam and Remus snipping at each other. Lovely yes? Poor sick Sirius. 


End file.
